Waikato people call Healthline

More Waikato people are using the free
telephone health advice service Healthline.

There were
8361 calls to Healthline from the Waikato region for the
last quarter (July-Sept 2012). Many of those callers were
able to then deal with the problem through a visit to their
GP, an after-hours doctor, or managed their symptoms at
home.

The number of callers is a 4.6 per cent increase
for the same quarter last year.

Healthline – 0800 611
116 – is a free telephone health advice service available
at any time of the day or night. Callers receive
confidential health advice from registered nurses.

The
nurses use a computer decision support system as they ask
questions about what’s wrong. The system uses information
about many different illnesses and their symptoms, and after
working through the questions the nurse will be able to give
the best advice.

Depending on the symptoms, callers may
be encouraged to seek medical treatment or be given advice
about how to manage a condition or minor injury at home. If
the situation is serious enough, the nurse will call an
ambulance.

Jane’s story

When Hamilton resident Jane
(not her real name) developed a very sore throat one weekend
she thought she might be able to stick it out until Monday
when she could visit her GP in Hamilton. But the pain got
worse and soon became unbearable.

“The pain was so
strong I felt like I was choking. I couldn’t wait until
Monday, so I called Healthline instead,” she
says.

“Every resident in our retirement village has been
given a magnet with the Healthline number to put on their
fridge. I’d never called Healthline before, but thought
I’d give it a try.”

The Healthline nurse listened as
Jane described her sore throat and advised her to see an
after-hours doctor that day.

“I didn’t know where to
find an after-hours doctor, but the nurse was able to tell
me where to go and gave me directions on how to get there.
At the after-hours I was admitted to the Emergency
Department of Waikato Hospital where they found a
peritonsillar or ‘quincy abscess’ on my
tonsils.”

Doctors were able to treat Jane’s abscess
and prescribed follow-up treatment

“Being able to call
Healthline is a great convenience because at the time it was
a choice between calling them or an ambulance.

“It was
hardly a medical emergency and I certainly didn’t want to
waste anyone’s time by calling for an ambulance, so being
able to talk to someone at Healthline and gain some
confidence about what to do was
wonderful.”

Tame Impala’s new album Currents has one of the hallmarks of an enduring album. At first listen it seems like good, if somewhat ordinary, pop but as you go back more and more layers unravel revealing deeply rich, expertly crafted songs. More>>

The winner of the Morgan Foundation’s $20,000 flag competition is “Wā kāinga / Home”, designed by Auckland based Studio Alexander. Economist and philanthropist Gareth Morgan set up the competition because he had strong views on what the flag should represent but he couldn’t draw one himself. More>>

They could have been any family of six children – except that five of them were born at once. It will come as a shock to many older New Zealanders to realise that Saturday July 25 is the Lawson quintuplets’ 50th birthday. More>>

Coinciding as it does with the movie Imitation Game which focusses on Alan Turing breaking the Enigma code in Hut 6 at Bletchley Park (“BP”), this book is likely to attract a wide readership. It deserves to do so, as it illustrates that BP was very much more than Turing and his colleagues. More>>

The theme for Māori Language Week 27 July – 2 August 2015 is ‘Whāngaihia te Reo ki ngā Mātua’ ‘Nurture the language in parents’. It aims to encourage and support every day Māori language use for parents and caregivers with children” says Acting Chief Executive Tuehu Harris.. More>>

The hyped sell-out crowd had already packed themselves as close as they could get to the stage before Earl came on. The smell of weed, sweat and beer filled Bodega – more debauched sauna than bar by this point. When he arrived on stage the screaming ... More>>